GB2066302A

GB2066302A - Washing machine

Info

Publication number: GB2066302A
Application number: GB8041393A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Kombinat Textima VEB
Current assignee: Kombinat Textima VEB
Priority date: 1980-01-02
Filing date: 1980-12-29
Publication date: 1981-07-08
Also published as: GB2066302B; DD151013A3; DE3040377A1; NL8006525A; CS231256B1; FR2473079A1; CH647285A5

Abstract

A washing machine for the disinfection of laundry, comprises an elongate housing 2 having a laundry intake 1 and a discharge 13. A plurality of treatment compartments 5 to 12, arranged in the housing 2 side by side in the longitudinal direction thereof and comprising soaking, washing and rinsing zones, are combined into a rotatable washing drum. The washing drum includes a soaking compartment 5, two disinfecting compartments 6 and 7, two clear wash compartments 8 and 9 and a secondary wash compartment 10, and two rinsing compartments 11 and 12. The washing drum is divided into a unidirectional flow zone (5, 6, 7) where the laundry and treatment solution are moved in the same direction and into a reverse flow zone (8, 9, 10, 11, 12) where the laundry and treatment solution are moved in opposite directions. Fresh water for the washing solution is supplied to the washing drum at the compartment 12 from where a part of the washing solution is conveyed in reverse flow 16 to the flow of laundry to be treated and is discharged at 17. The other part of the washing solution is first conveyed via duct 15 to a collecting tank 21 and from there by means of a pump 22 to a flushing-in zone 1 where the laundry is flushed and wetted. The solution of the unidirectional flow is discharged at 18. The division between the two kinds of flow are indicated by an outer partition 14 which extends radially up to the exterior wall of housing 2. Water leakage outlets 19 are connected to a common duct 20 which issues into the tank 21. A disinfectant washing agent is supplied from a metering device to the soaking compartment 5 and the first disinfecting compartment 6. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cyclic washing machine for the disinfection of laundry The invention relates to a cyclic washing machine for the disinfection of laundry, comprising treatment compartments which are arranged side by side in the axial direction and which are combined with soaking, washing and rinsing compartments to form a rotatable washing drum which is enclosed by a housing.

There are already known cyclic washing machines which are suitable for carrying out processes for disinfection by washing. In these the batches of laundry pass, from the intake in the direction of the discharge, through treatment compartments which are arranged in cyclic succession. The washing solution is moved in the direction of reverse flow, i.e. fresh water is fed to the last rinsing compartment and is moved in the direction of the laundry intake via overflow tanks into the individual treatment compartments. In order that disinfection may be carried out, the laundry remains for a predetermined time at a predetermined temperature when disinfecting washing agents are added in the clear wash compartments.

German Published Specification 2,122,568 describes a cyclic washing machine of such kind which effects separation of the stream of washing solution in the rinsing section, part of the washing solution being conveyed through the washing compartments in the direction of flow reverse to the flow of laundry and being used for the washing process. The other part of the washing solution is conveyed to the laundry intake zone. This part of the solution is used at this point for flushing and wetting the laundry and leaves the machine again immediately after the soaking compartment.

These known cyclic washing machines generally have the disadvantage that although they can carry out disinfecting washing processes, the washing solution by no means leaves the washing machine in a germ-free state.

It is an object of the invention to prevent damage caused as a result of a washing solution which is not germ-free being drained from the cyclic washing machine.

The invention aims to provide, at little constructional cost, a cyclic washing machine having reliable disinfection of laundry and germ-free waste water, while taking into account the variable number of treatment compartments.

Accordingly, the present invention consists in a cyclic washing machine for the disinfection of laundry, comprising an elongate housing, a plurality of treatment compartments which are arranged within the housing side by side in the longitudinal direction thereof and which constituting soaking, washing and rinsing zones, are combined to form a rotatable washing drum enclosed by the housing, a rinsing solution being supplied to and separated in the last rinsing compartment such that a part of said solution passes, in the reverse flow process, through further rinsing compartments and through washing compartments located upstream of said rinsing compartments and the other part of the rinsing solution is conveyed to a soaking compartment, characterised in that the washing drum is divided into a unidirectional flow zone where the laundry and the treatment solution are moved in the same direction, and a reverse flow zone where the laundry and the treatment solution are moved in opposite directions, the reverse flow zone comprising washing and rinsing compartments, whilst at least one disinfecting compartment is located in the unidirectional flow zone downstream of the soaking compartment, and that an outlet is provided at the last disinfection treating compartment for the solution in the unidirectional flow zone and at the first washing compartment for the solution in the reverse flow zone.

Preferably, an outer partition, which extends radially up to the housing of the cyclic washing machine, is located between the unidirectional flow zone and the reverse flow zone, thereby achieving, outside the machine, a division between the zone of the cyclic washing machine in which laundry which is not germ-free or is germ-free is treated.

For the purpose of achieving an effective disinfection of the laundry, both the soaking compartment and at least one subsequent disinfecting compartment are conveniently connected to a device for metering the disinfecting washing agent.

A suction device may be located in the zone of the last disinfecting compartment upstream of the partition.

In case water leakage occurs, there is advantageously provided a leakage collecting duct which extends through the entire machine and which has a collecting tank to which each treatment compartment is connected.

The present invention ensures that both the solution which passes through the disinfecting compartments and the solution which passes through the washing and rinsing compartments leave the cyclic washing machine in an absolutely germ-free state. This reliably prevents, on the one hand, the spreading of live pathogens, which can be present, for example, in hospital laundry to be treated, and, on the other hand, it is unnecessary to take further costly measures to ensure that the washing solution being drained off is disinfected.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, reference is made to the accompanying drawing which illustrates dia grammatically and by way of example one embodiment of a washing machine according to the invention in longitudinal section.

The washing machine comprises treatment compartments 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11 and 12, which are located inside a housing 2, are arranged side by side in the axial direction and are combined to form a rotatably mounted washing drum. According to their functions inside the cyclic washing machine, these compartments comprise a soaking compartment 5, two disinfecting compartments 6 and 7 for the chemical disinfection of the laundry, two clear wash compartments 8 and 9, a secondary wash compartment 10 and two rinsing compartments 11 and 12. Obviously, it is easily possible for the washing machine to be composed of more or less than eight treatment compartments within the meaning of this invention.

An outer partition 4, which extends radially as far as the housing 2, is located between the second and therefore last disinfecting compartment 7 and the first clear wash compartment 8.

The soaking compartment 5 and at least the first disinfecting compartment 6 are connected to a device 24 for metering a disinfecting washing agent or a disinfectant.

In accordance with the mode of operation, which is already generally known, of a cyclic washing machine, the laundry to be treated is passed in a cycle from the intake and flushing-in zone 1, through the treatment compartments 5 to 12 to the laundry discharge 13. In this case each batch of laundry remains in each of the treatment compartments 5 to 12 for one cycle period and is subsequently passed on to the following compartment.

Fresh water is conveyed via a fresh water supply duct 14 to the last rinsing compartment 12, which is therefore the second rinsing compartment in this case. The stream of washing solution is separated in a known manner in the rinsing compartment 12. Part of the washing solution is conveyed in reverse flow to the laundry to be treated, in the direction of arrow 16, through the remaining rinsing compartments (only the first rinsing compartment 11 in the illustrated example) and through the clear wash and secondary wash compartments 8; 9 and 10 which are located upstream of the rinsing compartment 11, whilst the other part of the solution is firstly conveyed to a collecting tank 21 via a duct 15.From the collecting tank 21, the flushing-in water is introduced into the intake and flushing-in zone 1 via a flushing-in duct 23 by means of a pump 22, and the laundry is therefore flushed in and wetted.

In the soaking compartment 5 disinfecting washing agent is added to the washing solution at 35"C.; chemical disinfection is already beginning at this stage. This process is continued in the disinfecting compartments 6 and 7 which, in accordance with the invention, follow the soaking compartment 5, and in which there is a prevailing temperature of approximately 60 C.

When the cyclic washing machine is appropriately designed to have more treatment compartments than in the illustrated example, it is also possible to provide more than two disinfecting compartments.

In accordance with the invention a disinfecting washing agent is additionally fed to at least the first disinfecting compartment 6.

The invention ensures that the laundry to - be treated in the second and therefore the last disinfecting compartment 7 is absolutely germ-free and also that the washing solution no longer contains live pathogens.

In the following clear wash compartments 8 and 9, a clear wash and an additional thermal disinfection of the laundry take place with the washing solution at a temperature of 90"C.

The latter compartments are followed by the secondary wash compartment 10 containing washing solution at a temperature of 70 C and the rinsing compartments 11 and 12 containing the washing solution at a temperature of 40 C.

The streams of solution which are formed by the separation of the rinsing solution in the last rinsing compartment 12 move, on the one hand, in a known manner in reverse flow as far as the first clear wash compartment 8, whilst, on the other hand, the solution used for flushing-in the laundry is conveyed in the same direction of flow as the laundry as far as the last disinfecting compartment 7. The outlet 18 for draining off the solution of the unidirectional flow section is situated at this point. The outlet 17 for draining off the solution of the reverse flow section is located at the first clear wash compartment 8. The outlets 17 and 18 are therefore located, in accordance with the invention, at a point in the cyclic washing machine where it is ensured that both streams of the solution are germ4ree.

A suction device 3 is located in that part of the housing 2 which is associated with the last disinfecting compartment 7, i.e. in the direction in which the cyclic washing machine extends in front of the partition 4. The function of the suction device 3 is to produce, in the reverse flow section, a movement of air from the rinsing compartment 12 in the direction of the disinfecting compartment 7 in order therefore to prevent germs from being carried from the unclean to the clean end of the machine.

A collecting gutter having a water leakage outlet 19 for collecting any water leakage is situated at each processing compartment 5 to 12. This water is conveyed via the water leakage collecting duct 20 into the collecting tank 21.

Claims

1. A cyclic washing machine for the disin fection of laundry, comprising an elongate housing, a plurality of treatment compart ments which are arranged within the housing side by side in the longitudinal direction thereof and which, constituting soaking, washing and rinsing zones, are combined to form a rotatable washing drum enclosed by the housing a rinsing solution being supplied to and separated in the last rinsing compart ment such that a part of said solution passes, in the reverse flow process, through further rinsing compartments and through washing compartments located upstream of said rins ing compartments and the other part of the rinsing solution is conveyed to a soaking compartment, characterised in that the wash ing drum is divided into a unidirectional flow zone where the laundry and the treatment solution are moved in the same direction, and a reverse flow zone where the laundry and the treatment solution are moved in opposite di rections, the reverse flow zone comprising washing and rinsing compartments, whilst at least one disinfecting compartment is located in the unidirectional flow zone downstream of the soaking compartment, and that an outlet is proVided at the last disinfection treatment compartment for the solution in the unidirec tional flow zone and at the first washing compartment for the solution in the reverse flow zone.

2. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein an outer partition, which extends radially as far as the housing of the washing machine, is located between the unidirectional flow zone and the reverse flow zone.

3. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the soaking compartment and at least one disinfecting compartment are con nected to a device for metering a disinfecting washing agent.

4. A washing machine as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein a suction device is located in the zone of the last disinfecting compartment upstream of said partition.

5. A washing machine as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein each proc essing compartment is connected to a water leakage collecting duct having a collecting tank for collecting any water leakage.

6. A cyclic washing machine for the disin fection of laundry, substantially as herein de scribed with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.